Feminization of poverty

The implications of an economic crisis and of economies affect more women than men. When income decreases women must find a way to make ends meet. It more and more occurs that women are the sole parent and sole provider of a family. Given their double task it is difficult to make a career.

Women from Gelderland think that the government should prevent these women from coming at the bottom of the list. That is why they suggest the following:

• the minimum wage cannot be reduced or unlinked from social security benefits. Social security regulation can be financed through cut-backs and levelling income at the top;
• women who are on social security should be offered a range of possibilities so they will be able to improve their position:
• the recently lifted rule which gave women on social security the opportunity to make something on the side should in any case be reintroduced for these women so they can work part-time to gain some extra money;
• cheaper or free child care facilities should be realized for women on social security who receive vocational training and/or work part-time;
• special attention has to be paid to single older women who receive old age pensions, because making something on the side does not open up new perspectives of getting a higher income;
• revision of unemployment benefits cannot imply more poverty for women;
• health care cannot become more expensive for women who have to live on a minimum income. Economies in the field of health care should be compensated for these women, otherwise health care will become inaccessible to them resulting in the undesirable effect that in the future only rich people can afford to be healthy.